Cape Town is adopting water reuse and reclamation technologies to mitigate the risks of future droughts.
This strategy was inspired by Perth, Australia, where a 40% decrease in rainfall over two decades has dramatically reshaped water resource management.
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According to the Daily Maverick, Cape Town’s executive mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, noted the parallels between Perth’s prolonged dry spell and the potential climate challenges facing Cape Town and cautioned against the risk of relying solely on rainfall.
The New Water Programme aims to integrate water reuse into the city’s water supply, contributing 7% by 2040.
The programme is ambitious, targeting 300 million litres of water per day from various sources like seawater desalination, groundwater extraction and water reuse by 2030.
These measures, though not a complete safeguard against drought, will reduce the impact of water restrictions if they become necessary.
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Cities such as Perth, Nairobi, Los Angeles and others have successfully implemented similar water technologies.
The upcoming water reuse project in Cape Town is centred around the Faure Water Treatment Plant and marks a significant step towards sustainable water management.
The project has an estimated cost of R5 billion and a completion target of 2027.
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